Education Records
Parents, and pupils who are 16 or over, have had the right to see local education authority (LEA) school records for a number of years. The Data Protection Act has now extended this right to younger pupils. There is no minimum age: any pupil who makes a written request to see their school records is entitled to do so, unless the pupil does not have the ability to understand what they are asking for. The right applies to any information produced by a teacher, an education welfare officer or an employee of the Local Education Authority. Access must be given within 15 school days.
In addition to the general exemptions in the Data Protection Act:
• Information likely to cause serious harm to the pupil or someone else’s physical or mental health is exempt.
• Information about a possible risk of child abuse can be withheld from a parent if disclosure would not be in the child's best interests.
Education records can be inspected free of charge. Photocopying charges are limited to a maximum of £1 for the first 20 pages, plus a further £1 for every subsequent ten pages, up to a maximum of £50. This maximum applies regardless of how many pages are supplied.
In addition to the general exemptions in the Data Protection Act:
• Information likely to cause serious harm to the pupil or someone else’s physical or mental health is exempt.
• Information about a possible risk of child abuse can be withheld from a parent if disclosure would not be in the child's best interests.
Education records can be inspected free of charge. Photocopying charges are limited to a maximum of £1 for the first 20 pages, plus a further £1 for every subsequent ten pages, up to a maximum of £50. This maximum applies regardless of how many pages are supplied.
